The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1887-05-08
THE FRENCH POLICE.
Remarkable Evidences of Their skin
and Accuracy.

AZ tuS COLumeuceuenb CT lu6 FRENCH
Revolution, nearly one hundred years ago,
the Lieutenant-General of Police at Paris
had upon his register the names of 20
fewer than 1000 suspected and depraved
characters, whose pursuits were known to
be Of a criminal nature; yet by making the
Department of Police the immediate object
Of the close and uniform attention Of one
branch of the executive governm emf, crimes
were much less frequent than in England,
and the security extended to the public
with regard to the protection of life and
property against lawles5 depreciation was
infinitely greater. The following narratives
were authenticated by an English ma gis-
trate at the time; and record of them,
written at the commencement of this CEN
tury, is now in the possession of the present
writer:
merchant of high rezpectabiIity in
Bordeaux had occasion to visit Paris upon
commercial business, carrying with him
bills and money to a very large amount.
On his arrival at the gates of the French
metropolis, genteel-looking man opened
the door of the carriage and addressed him
to this effect: "Sir, nave been waiting for
you some time. According to my notes,
you were to arrive at this hour; and your
person, your carriage, and your portman-
teau exactly answering the description l
hold in my hand, you will permit me to
have the horror of conducting you to Mon
sieur de Sartine."
The gentleman. astonished and alarmed
at this interruption, and still more at hear
ing the name of the lieutenant of police
mentioned, demanded to know what NJ. de
Sartine wanted with hiIa, adding that he
L. ID 1t.
| tie laws, and that the police could have no
| right to detain him. The messenger de-
clared himself ignorant Of the cause of the
| detention, and said that when he had con-
| Quoted him to III. de Sartine, he should
| have executed his orders. After soma
| further explanations the gentleman per
| mitted the officer to conduct him to the
! police official.
III. de Sartine received him with great
! politeness, and after requesting him to be-
seated, to his establishment described his
portmanteau, and told him the exact
amount in bills and cash which he had
brought with him to Paris, where he was
to lodge, his usual time of going to bed, and
| number of other circumstances which he
had conceived were known only to himself
| Having thus excited his attention, III. de
Sartine asked him: ''Slr, are you a man of
courage"
The gentleman, still more astonished at
| the siugularity of this interrogatory, de-
manded the reason why such a question
was put, adding that no man had ever
| doubted his courage.
81. de Sartine replied ''Sir, you are to
| be robbed and murdered this night. If
| you are a man of courage, you must go TO
| your hotel and retire to rest at the usual
hour. But be careful not to fall asleep;
neither will it be proper for you to look
under your bed or into the closet which is
in your chamber. You must place your
| portmanteau in its usual situation near
your bed, and betray no suspicion. Leave
what remains to me. If you do not feel
your courage sufi' lent to bear You out, [
will procure some one who shall personate
you and go to bed in your stead"
The merchant being convinced that NJ.
| de Sartine's intelligence was accurate in
every particular, refused to be personated.
and resolved to follow literally the direc-
tons he had received He accordingly
Grove to the hotel and went to bed at his
usual hour, IL O'Clock. At half past 12-
the hour meniione by NJ. de SArtino- he
door of his bed chamber burst open and
three men entered with dark lantern,
daggers and pistols. The merchant per-
ceived one of them to be his own servant
They ritied his portmanteau undisturbed
and settled the plan of putting him to
death. Hearing all this and not knowi- G
| by what means he was to be rescued, it
may be supposed he was under great per
| turbation of mind during such an interval
of suspense When at the moment the
| villains were preparing to take the mer-
chants life, four police officers, who were
concealed under the bed and in the closet,
rushed out and seized the offenders with
the property in their possession. The
consequence was that the preparation of
the murder was prevented and sufficient
| evidence obtained to convict the offenders.
| NJ. de Sartine's intelligence thus enabled
| him t. prevent many cases of murder and
| robbery.
The second story is as follows: The
Emperor of Austria, Joseph H., having
in the year 1887 formed and promulgated a
new code Of laws relative to criminal and
| civil aft Mrs, and having also establis he'd
what he conceived to be the best system of
| police in Europe, could scarcely ever for
/ give the French nation, IN consequence of
the accuracy and intelligence of NJ. de Sar-
1 tines police having been superior to his
own, Notwithstanding the pains he had be
slowed en- that department of his govern
ment. A notorious Austrian offender, who
had committed many atrocious acts of
violence and depreciation in Vienna, was
traced to Paris by the police established by
his Majesty, who ordered his ambassador
al the court of France to demand that this
delinquent should be delivered up TO pub
lie justice. NJ. de Sartine acknowledged 10
the imperial ambassador that the person he
figured after had been in Paris; that, if
he wished it, he would inform him where
hs lodged and the different gaming tables
and other places of resort which he had
frequented while there; but that he was
now gone.
The ambassador insisted that this offend
i 4